“We have repeatedly said that we are ready to build both small- and medium-capacity facilities in Kyrgyzstan and are holding relevant talks with the country’s Energy Ministry,” Rosatom head Alexey Likhachev said. “These talks are proceeding slowly, as everything must be carefully weighed before becoming part of a major nuclear energy project.”
Kyrgyzstan and Rosatom signed a memorandum in early 2022 on the construction of a small modular nuclear power plant.
Last spring, Rosatom said it had submitted a preliminary feasibility study for the project to Kyrgyzstan’s Energy Ministry.
Deputy Energy Minister of Kyrgyzstan Altynbek Rysbekov said in the fall that “work is only being carried out on how such a plant could be built in Kyrgyzstan.”
“The possibility of building the plant exists, but no fundamental decision has been made yet,” he said. “Yes, a memorandum with Rosatom has been signed. Some work is underway, but where, how and in what form it will be built has not yet been determined — it is still too early.”
Kyrgyzstan is considering several ways to meet growing electricity demand, including hydropower plant modernization, construction of new thermal capacity and development of renewable energy sources.
As reported, Rosatom says it expects to commission the first power unit of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant in Turkey by December 2026.
Rosatom is building the Akkuyu plant in Turkey’s Mersin province, which will become the country’s first nuclear power plant.
The plant will consist of four power units with a capacity of 1,200 MW each.
Rosatom also plans to begin construction of Uzbekistan’s first nuclear power plant in the first half of 2026.